Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Don Stanislao and a quiz

Pope's aide disobeyed him and kept his papers

By Peter Popham in Rome

Independent 06 June 2005

The man who served Pope John Paul II as his private secretary for nearly 40 years has revealed he disobeyed the pontiff's last testament instruction to burn his papers because they were "great riches". Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, one of only two individuals mentioned by name in John Paul's will, said in an interview on Polish radio that there were "quite a lot of manuscripts on various issues," but refused to give any details.He suggested some of the material left by the pope could be useful in the process of beatification, announced by Pope Benedict XVI last month."Nothing has been burnt," he went on, "Nothing is fit for burning, everything should be preserved and kept for history, for the future generations - every single sentence." Don Stanislao, as he was known in the Vatican, was the pope's constant companion and the two enjoyed a relationship described as father-son and love-hate. Born in southern Poland in 1939, the son of a railway worker, and ordained a priest in 1963, he was Archbishop Karol Wojtyla's assistant in Krakow, and followed him to Rome on his election as pope.During the pope's final years, when he was increasingly helpless, Archibishop Dziwisz gained enormous power as his doorkeeper. "He was the most hated man in the Vatican," said one Polish observer, "but that's the lot of every pope's secretary." He caused outrage among some Polish Catholics when he refused to allow Father Adam Boniewski, a biographer and old friend of the pope, to see him for the final 12 years of the pope's life.Pope John Paul went against tradition by appointing Don Stanislao first bishop and then archbishop. On Friday, the Polish prelate was named the new Archbishop of Krakow, one of the most important Catholic archdioceses.The archbishop's few public pronouncements have been notably acid. In October 2003, amid speculation the pope was mortally ill, he said: "Some journalists who in recent years have spoken and written a lot about the pope's health are already in heaven."In the same month the present pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, told a journalist he bumped into on the street that John Paul was "in a bad way" and that the faithful should pray for him - an innocuous enough remark, but so infuriating to Archbishop Dziwisz that his rebuke reduced Cardinal Ratzinger to tears, which Archbishop Dziwisz then made public."Cardinal Ratzinger was crying yesterday, explaining that he never gave an interview but merely answered someone he met on the street, saying, if the pope is sick, pray for him," Archbishop Dziwisz announced. The Polish archbishop gave no hint as to how many papers he has declined to burn. "He's clever to make this announcement," said the Polish source.The source continued: "It's his way of saying, 'I have my hands on these papers, nobody knows what's in them'. There's a real danger that he could invent an order of John Paul's, leading to the promoting or firing of people, and there would be no way of checking it."

Pope's last wish ignored as private papers kept for 'posterity'

By Jonathan Petre

Daily Telegraph 6 June 2005

John Paul II's former private secretary has ignored the late pontiff's dying wish that his private papers be destroyed, saying the documents were a "great treasure" that should be kept for posterity.The late pope said in his last will and testament, which was published a few days after his death, that he had asked Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz to oversee the burning of his personal documents and notes.

But the archbishop disclosed at the weekend that he had so far refused to comply. "Nothing has been burned," he told Polish state radio, "Nothing is fit for burning. Everything should be preserved and kept for history, for the future generations - every single sentence."These are great riches that should gradually be made available to the public."Archbishop Dziwisz said he felt that his devotion to the memory of the late pope outweighed his responsibility to burn the papers. He suggested that they would contribute to the process of canonising John Paul II as a saint.His disclosure will trigger speculation about the contents of the documents, which could include the late pope's reflections on international events and personalities as well as spiritual insights.Many will also be surprised by Archbishop Dziwisz's apparent act of disobedience to the late pope's wishes.He worked alongside John Paul II for nearly 40 years and was regarded as his most trusted aide and confidant.His role as "gatekeeper", zealously controlling access to the late Pope, irritated some in the Curia and added to their resentment of the influence of the Polish contingent in Rome. But his loyalty was rewarded on Friday when he was appointed Archbishop of Krakow in Poland by the new pope, Benedict XVI, another close aide to the late pontiff.Krakow was John Paul II's archdiocese before he was elected to the papacy in 1978.Pope John Paul II said in a March 1979 entry to his testament, which was written over a number of years, that he left no material property and asked that Archbishop Dziwisz burn all his personal notes.The testament was, however, a spiritual rather than legal document and has only moral rather than legal force.Archbishop Dziwisz told Polish radio on Saturday that he had saved "quite a lot of manuscripts on various issues" but declined to elaborate further.The archbishop said he had also kept his own copious daily notes, in 27 volumes, about the late pope and they could be made public to help the canonisation process.Last month, Benedict XVI announced that he was lifting a five-year waiting period for the start of the process toward beatification, the last formal step before the late pontiff could be made a saint.Archbishop Dziwisz became secretary to Karol Wojtyla in 1966 when he was archbishop of Krakow and remained at John Paul II's side throughout his pontificate.In 1981, when John Paul was shot by Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk, Dziwisz held him in his arms as he was rushed from St Peter's Square to hospital. He has published a book about the assassination attempt.Archbishop Dziwisz also said in the radio interview there was a general expectation that Pope Benedict XIV would not travel as extensively as his predecessor, but that he would like to visit Krakow and the Polish capital, Warsaw.

FOREIGN tourists requesting visas to visit Germany for the Pope’s first pilgrimage abroad are being asked searching questions about their knowledge of Christianity.

The measure by Germany is designed to prevent a wave of illegal immigration, especially from the Balkans.More than a million young believers are expected to attend the World Youth Conference in Cologne in August, when Pope Benedict XVI will make his first papal trip.Germans are concerned that the religious festival will be exploited by people because of their country’s fast-lane visa regulations.The career of Joschka Fischer, the Foreign Minister, was damaged this year after he was questioned on television for 12 hours over visa rules that allowed an influx of illegal Albanian and Ukrainian immigrants, many of whom were said to have become involved in drugs and prostitution.German embassies abroad have therefore concocted a scored questionnaire to sort out the true pilgrims from the would-be criminals.The questions begin harmlessly enough. “Who were the first people?” and “How and when did Jesus die?” The seven deadly sins, judging by a straw poll conducted by The Times among young Germans in Berlin, are generally known, though often for the wrong reason. “I know them because of the film Seven with Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow,” a 26-year-old woman said.For infrequent churchgoers, naming the sacraments proved more difficult, and a question asking about the types of sin baffled many. Describing God’s activity (or rather lack of it) on the seventh day of creation was regarded as a little too tricky.The questions are marked according to difficulty. The pass mark is 70 per cent. They are drawn from four quizzes used by the German Embassy in Tirana, leaked yesterday to the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.German officials said that there had been no attempt to discriminate against Albanian visitors; the quiz was being applied in several non-European Union countries and was simply a guide for consular officials to determine how genuine the visa applicant’s motives were.But Albania is sensitive. The cross-examination of Herr Fischer came after it emerged that lax visa rules applied to Albanians and Ukrainians led to hundreds of thousands entering Germany and the European Union between 2000 and 2002.As many of these people on tourist visas worked illegally or turned to crime, the Christian Democratic Opposition accused Herr Fischer of irresponsible behaviour. The lasting impression of the television duel was that Herr Fischer was not in full control of his ministerial officials.Although the scandal has gone off the boil, it has accelerated the decline of the Social Democratic- Green coalition Government.The Government’s first response has been to tighten consular practices in the Balkans and Ukraine, hence the Christianity quiz.

A test of faith for pilgrims1. Who were the first people?2. How and when did Jesus die?3. In the story of the Creation, what did God create on the seventh day?4. As a result of the sin committed by Adam and Eve, in what condition do we now live?5. How many kinds of sin are there? Name them6. Who is the father of Jesus Christ?7. Who sentenced Jesus to death?8. Who were the sons of Adam and Eve?9. How many sacraments are there? Name them10. Name the seven deadly sins.11. Who betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees?12. Where does Jesus sit in Heaven?13. Name the three divine virtues.14. How long did Jesus stay on Earth after his resurrection?

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